How VCs Are Thinking About Gaming in 2023
In this issue, we ask different gaming VCs how they’re thinking about the current climate in game investing, what they’re spending their time on, and what makes them excited for the future.
Our Most Anticipated Web3 Games
Piers Kicks, founding partner of Delphi Ventures and venture partner at BITKRAFT, joins host Aaron Bush to discuss their most anticipated web3 games. The duo also discuss the realities of leaving school early to kickstart investing careers and how the best modern-day founders are different from previous eras, followed by a fun game to capture Piers’ pulse on a variety of gaming and web3 topics
Founding Funds, Paths to Partner, and Glass Ceilings
Holly Liu is the co-founder of Kabam and now managing partner and co-founder of PKO, a collective investing in tech and entertainment. Phylicia Koh is a partner at Play Ventures, a games VC with ~$250M AUM.
Today we learn how these two phenomenal games people founded funds, exited companies, and ascended to partner as well as a definitional layout of the structure of the investing world. Furthermore we shade this all under the fundamental reality that venture capital is still very much a “boys club” and the games industry deeply struggles to ensure gender equality across a variety of dimensions.
Sebastian Park: The State of Esports, UGC, and Venture Capital
Today’s episode is an interview with Sebastian Park, an ex-esports executive who is now co-founder of Infinite Canvas (creating and acquiring UGC games) and a venture partner at BITKRAFT. We dive into the trifecta of Sebastian’s background: esports, UGC games, and venture capital. Tune in to find out.
Are Gaming VCs Too Big?
In this issue, we look at gaming VC fund sizes and take a broader look at each’s place in the market. Fund sizes have grown to reflect a frothy market but also a real opportunity ahead.
Patrick Lee: Venture Debt 101
In this episode, Patrick Lee – founder and managing partner of Top Corner Capital – joins Naavik co-founder Alex Takei to discuss: What is venture debt and where did it come from (turns out, it’s 20% of the venture market). Also how is it different from venture capital, as well as who should raise it, and when.
Moritz Baier-Lentz: The State of Gaming VC
In this episode, Moritz Baier-Lentz – Partner and the Head of Gaming at Lightspeed Venture Partners (LSVP) – joins Naavik co-founder Aaron Bush to discuss his move to LSVP and the team’s revamped ambitions to invest across the games industry. Moritz also talks about the lessons learned as a VC, including how he’s grown as an investor. He also mentions the current state of the venture market and his advice to founders on how to navigate tougher times, as well as provide insights on investing in web3, AI, game studios, and more!
Web3 Investing with Animoca Brands
We are ringing in 2023 with Yat Siu, the founder of the Crypto & Blockchain titan Animoca Brands. We focus the Animoca origin story, how they found Crypto Kitties, their investment strategy (and why it’s totally different than a traditional VC), digital property rights, and more. It’s a new year, a fresh start for crypto, and there’s no better place to begin than the OGs.
Building Game Studios as Venture Capital Runs Dry
In a previous issue, we partnered with InvestGame to show that venture capital funding for startups has slowed considerably in 2022. In this issue, we take a look at various other tactics to build game studios and also tease two recent Naavik Pro deconstructions.
Jason Chapman: How Konvoy Ventures Invests in Gaming
In this episode, Jason Chapman – co-founder and managing partner of Konvoy Ventures – joins Naavik co-founder Aaron Bush to discuss: The origins, present state, and core theses of Konvoy Ventures. What technology and platform trends Jason is excited about. Also, what attributes the Konvoy team looks for in the teams and founders it backs. The duo also discuss the current state of the venture market, including where we are in the latest web3 cycle and the lessons learned in scaling an investment firm;
